B&Q has announced its work with new agencies - WCRS and Good Relations - as well as the appointment of a new director of brand communications.
The DIY retailer is starting the year with a new brand management team and two new agencies with the scope to deliver solutions for the brand and the range of branded products and services. With a total spend of over £50m across all channels, WCRS and Good Relations will work into the management team to shape brand reputation and increase customer engagement.

Amanda Walker joined B&Q on January 13 in the new role of director of brand communications, responsible for advertising and digital. She has a breadth of experience with a career path covering FMCG and Financial Services brands, most recently as marketing director for Churchill Insurance at Direct Line Group.

Chris Moss, customer and marketing director, said: "B&Q has an incredible library of stories to tell. Up and down every aisle in every store are stories about innovation in product creation and supply chain sourcing, feats of environmental achievement that are truly market leading and human stories about our people and the partners we work with.

"We are strengthening our team and have appointed agencies to help us uncover these stories, package them and engage with our customers and stakeholders in increasingly creative and innovative ways. I am delighted to welcome Amanda to the team. We're excited about these new appointments and are looking forward to what 2014 has to offer."

WCRS will start work at the beginning of February as B&Q's above-the-line Creative agency, taking over from the incumbent Karmarama, and Good Relations replaces ZPR.

The team will be led by consumer director Claire Curran with a national team based in London, and regional offices across the UK. MEC remains as media agency.